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https://www.ft.com/content/09e66110-32d9-3d05-979b-8f87e39d5700

US economic growth slowed in the first three months of this year to the lowest rate since 2014, sharpening the challenge for the Trump administration to meet its promise to stoke a far higher level of expansion for the worldâ€™s biggest developed economy.

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The economy expanded at an annualised rate of 0.7 per cent, from 2.1 per cent in the previous quarter, according to figures released on Friday by the commerce department. Wall Street economists had forecast a pace of 1 per cent.

Expectations for first quarter growth have dimmed substantially since the end of January as hard data have struggled to keep pace with the surge in many surveys, from consumer sentiment, to small business confidence, that came after the election of Donald Trump.

Many Wall Street economists have shrugged off the data, even ahead of Fridayâ€™s report. They noted that the data were likely afflicted by seasonal factors.

â€śWe attribute much of the weakness in [the first quarter] to two transitory factors,â€ť said Citigroupâ€™s Andrew Hollenhorst. He pointed to warm weather cutting utilities usage, as well as delayed tax refunds. Weakness in auto sales, something he sees as an â€śidiosyncratic storyâ€ť he said ahead of the report.